This course is designed to help you build a comprehensive understanding of the various functions of management and examine the policies developed and delivered by governments and other organisations across the world.

Employed Aston Social Studies graduates earn £4,800 (27%) more than the UK average one year after graduating, according to the government's Longitudinal Education Outcomes survey (LEO).

A Level applicants who select this course as their Firm UCAS choice may be eligible for our lowered offer scheme. This means that the grades that you will need in order to be accepted on to the course will be reduced.

We welcome applications from students who have tried to improve their examination grades by taking resits. We treat these applications in exactly the same way as other applications.

Applicants who select this course as their Firm UCAS choice may be eligible for our lowered offer scheme. This means that the grades that you will need in order to be accepted on to the course will be reduced.

32 points in the IB diploma (including TOK/Bonus points) with 6,5,5 at HL.

Standard level Maths and English grade 5 required in lieu of GCSE English and Maths grade C/4.

Applicants who select this course as their Firm UCAS choice may be eligible for our lowered offer scheme. This means that the grades that you will need in order to be accepted on to the course will be reduced.

Pass Access to HE Diploma with Merit in each module. Humanities, Social Sciences or Business Access course preferred, but other courses considered on an individual basis.

EPQ:A Level applicants who meet our offer criteria will be made the standard offer for their programme of choice, plus an alternative offer which will be one grade lower plus a grade B in EPQ, providing this course is selected as their Firm UCAS choice.

Other qualifications:If your qualification is not listed, please contact us using the form at the bottom of the page.

Foundation Programme in Social Science (Aston University): For students with good A-level (or equivalent) grades, but who narrowly miss our standard requirements, it is also possible to gain entry to this course by completing a Foundation Year, although please note theprogression requirements.

Whilst the grades listed here are our entry requirements, we understand that predicted grades are only an estimate. We will therefore consider applicants with predicted grades that fall below these entry requirements if the application is of a high standard(however, initial offers will not be lower than stated below).

In addition to your predicted grades, when making offers we also consider your previous academic performance (eg GCSEs), your school/college reference and the commitment and motivation you demonstrate for your chosen course via the personal statement.

Application for second year entry will be considered by the programme director if there is space on that year of the programme. Typically, successful applicants for second year entry will:

Have A level (or equivalent) qualifications similar to those required for first year entry

Have gained (or be expected to gain) 120 credits on an equivalent programme at another recognised university

Obtained (or be expected to obtain) an overall average of 60% or above on an equivalent programme at another recognised university

Have not previously attempted the second year of a programme elsewhere

Individual programmes may have additional requirements in addition to those stated above. These will be clarified upon application.

The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor.

This course is designed to help you build a comprehensive understanding of the various functions of management and examine the policies developed and delivered by governments and other organisations across the world.

Public Policy & ManagementYou will investigate the economic, social and political forces which influence government decision-making, and which give rise to conflicts between the achievement of economic, environmental and social objectives.

The course examines why governments take particular decisions in key policy areas (such as the economy, health, and the environment) and develop a detailed understanding of processes of policy making at global, national and local levels of government. You will also study the nature of policy delivery and management by various organisations, such as health care organisations, local governments, schools and businesses.

The course explores in depth the outcomes and consequences of various government policies on the economy and society.

BusinessYou’ll study the theories, principles and underlying concepts of the main functions of management and develop a strong understanding of business models and processes. You’ll examine how strategic decision-making within organisations takes place, and develop the ability to recognise and analyse the economic, technical, financial, social and organisational parameters within which modern managers make decisions.

Your careerYour placement year will give you the opportunity to apply your key skills and competencies within a real work-based situation.

The course is strongly geared towards increasing your employability since it is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills required of professionals working in the public, private and voluntary sectors..

Sample module options: The modules below are indicative only. When an offer is made, students will receive a detailed programme specification which forms part of our terms and conditions.

Click on the module titles to find out more.

Year 1

Core modules:Becoming a Social ScientistSocial Issues From Social Problems and Public PoliciesIntroductory Accounting for BusinessIntroduction to Organisational BehaviourIntroduction to Marketing Management

Year 3

You will spend this year in a professional placement or you may choose to take up an international study opportunity at one of our partner institutions. This year is compulsory for all UK and EU students.

Choice of modules from:DissertationInternational Migration and Policy Ageing, Society, PolicyLearning to Labour: Education and SocietyChallenges of Climate Change The Citizen and the StateWork, Organisation and SocietyRacism, Class and GenderContemporary Social Movements Corporate Power in a Globalised WorldHealth PolicyTheories and Practice of LeadershipPsychology & WorkConsumer Research and the Customer Experience International MarketingInternational OperationsEffective Project DeliveryLearning, Training and Development in OrganisationsBusiness Ethics

You will participate in lectures, tutorials, seminars, group and individual project work. Traditional teaching is supported by a virtual learning environment that is used to host a range of electronic supporting materials.

The course deals with many topical issues, and as a result we try to incorporate current media coverage and public debates into class discussions and to link these to academic research and commentary wherever possible.

There is a much stronger emphasis on reading and on your own private, independent study than at pre-degree level. To help you manage your learning, we set out your work for the year in online student guides and module handouts, which include full details of all modules including week-by-week lecture breakdowns, reading lists and all coursework assignments for the year. The University offers training courses in study skills, and the Library’s Learning Development Centre provides one-to-one instruction, workshops and study guides for academic research and writing.

We use a range of assessment methods and most modules are assessed with a combination of coursework and an end of year examination. Coursework includes essays, research reports, individual and group projects, statistics assignments, class tests and both individual and group presentations.

This course is designed to also give you a range of transferable and practical skills to succeed within your chosen career. We make extensive use of group working and presentations to prepare you for the reality of working life. Such work develops your team working and negotiating skills.

Our placement year gives you the opportunity to gain practical work experience that is invaluable in developing an appreciation of issues which cannot be replicated in the lecture room.

The placement year is an opportunity for you to set your studies in context and gain valuable professional experience. It is highly attractive to potential employers and many of our students are offered graduate jobs by their placement employer.

You can choose whether your placement has a business or a public policy focus and your may be in the UK or abroad. Placements taken by Aston students are generally paid, with the average salary being around £16,000.

In recent years our Joint Honours business and public policy degrees at Aston have undertaken placements in a variety of organisations, including:

Aston Villa Football Club

Behavioural Support Centres

British Energy

Children’s Society

Civil Service

Ford

Home Office

Marks and Spencer

NHS

People and Planet

Pupil referral units

Suffolk Youth Offending Service

University research and study placements (UK, US, Australia, Finland and Singapore)

You'll receive plenty of help and advice in finding your placement and specialist support and supervision from the University during your placement.

Our Public Policy & Management and Business course is focused on increasing your employability by providing you with the knowledge and skills for working in the private, public and voluntary sectors.

Our graduates are in demand from a wide range of employers where a sound understanding oforganisations, management and the issues driving government policy are essential.

Typical destinations include careers in the private sector, central and local government, European Union, organisations providing health and social care, education, housing, leisure, environmental protection, as well as charities and social enterprises.

Our graduates have excellent communication and teamwork skills, are critical and analytic and can design, conduct and analyse and evaluate research. As a manager you will be a problem solver, planner and leader, and this course aims to prepare you for these challenges.

In the Business School, teaching rooms and facilities have also been recently refurbished. All lecture theatres and seminar rooms are fully equipped with the latest teaching aids and extensive use is made of our Virtual Learning Environment to help support your studies.

The School of Languages and Social Sciences has a dedicated student room, the ‘CadburyRoom’, with social seating, study stations and meeting tables, WiFi, networked printing andphotocopying facilities.

As a Public Policy student you'll have access to a wide range of resources for study and research, including access to thousands of online journals, books and databases; computer labs equipped with SPSS and NVivo data analysis software; and a dedicated learning technologies team that supports student research and creative production.

You are encouraged to borrow from our stock of research equipment, including video and digital voice recorders. You can sign up for workshops which focus on techniques of interviewing, conducting recorded focus groups, analysing audio and visual data, andproducing and editing video and audio media.